Former FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has leveled serious accusations regarding Lionel Messi’s departure from the club in 2021.
Bartomeu detailed who he believes was responsible for Messi’s surprising exit, asserting that a new contract for the Argentinian superstar was «entirely possible.» Messi tearfully left for Paris Saint-Germain, as severe financial difficulties in Catalonia necessitated his departure as a free agent.
Barcelona had reportedly hoped the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would agree to play temporarily without a salary to help stabilize the club’s finances, but no agreement could be reached. This marked the painful end of a lifelong association with the Blaugrana, transforming a once harmonious relationship into a tense one.
Since then, Messi has only made fleeting visits to Barcelona, including a recent discrete inspection of the ongoing renovations at Camp Nou. He has not played on the pitch there since his move to France, despite various calls for an emotional return, either as a homecoming hero or in a friendly match.
Current President Joan Laporta has not managed to orchestrate such an event and admits losing touch with Messi over the years. Laporta has previously implied that Bartomeu and the former leadership at Barca were to blame for Messi’s departure, holding them accountable for an era of financial ruin.
Who is to blame for Messi’s departure from Barcelona?
Bartomeu has strongly refuted these claims, stating, concerning Laporta’s tenure: «Had they done what was necessary, it would have been entirely possible to extend Leo Messi’s contract and sign new players.»
He continued: «It was not due to the old management, but rather Financial Fair Play, because the new board had inflated the losses to 555 million Euros. When LaLiga became aware of this, they decided to conduct a second audit and concluded that the losses were not as high as stated, as there were provisions of 283 million Euros. But Barca chose to stick to their initial proposal, LaLiga applied the rules, and the club received a penalty for violating Financial Fair Play, from which it has not recovered to this day.»
Bartomeu further added that Messi was unfairly treated when he was pressured to leave, despite his record-breaking contributions to Barcelona being eternally etched in Blaugrana memory. «Messi was underpaid for what he achieved, both in sporting, financial, and commercial terms. He would have loved to be part of the team’s rebuilding, alongside these young players we now have, who are also part of this famous legacy, but he was sent away, which is why it didn’t work out.»
Barcelona’s Financial Struggles
It was Bartomeu who prevented Messi from leaving during the infamous ‘burofax’ episode in 2020, when the Argentinian superstar first expressed his desire to depart Barcelona. Ultimately, he was prevented from leaving then, but the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted clubs worldwide.
Regarding the challenges he faced in trying to keep a star-studded squad together, Bartomeu explained: «In March 2020, the lockdown began, and at that point, revenues dried up. A 14 percent salary cut was agreed upon with the players, leading to savings of 90 million Euros.»
«We spoke with Procicat, and we were told we could safely reopen the stadium for the new season, but in August, we were informed this would not be possible,» Bartomeu continued. «So we spoke with the players to tell them their salaries would be cut by 20 percent. That’s when things escalated, because they refused.»
«Consequently, we had to enter negotiations. Only four players said, ‘We want to do this, we want to help.’ A new contract was drafted for them, where they would earn less in the first two years and more in the last two years.»
Messi Thriving with Inter Miami
Ultimately, Barcelona could not prevent Messi from leaving the club. The South American GOAT departed after scoring 672 goals and winning 34 titles. At 36 years old, he is now with MLS Cup winners Inter Miami and has become the undisputed MVP of US soccer.